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MILLENNIUM HIGH SCHOOL MIDCYCLE PROGRESS REPORT

760 MAGNOLIA AVE.

PIEDMONT, CA 94611

PIEDMONT UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

MARCH 17TH, 2016

Accrediting Commission for Schools Western Association of Schools and Colleges

Midcycle Progress Report Rev. 3/15

Millennium High School ACS WASC Midcycle Progress Report

CONTENTS

I: Student/Community Profile Data………………………..…………...…………...3

II: Significant Changes and Developments…………………..………………..…..38

III: Ongoing School Improvement………………..………………….……….…......47

IV: Progress on Critical Areas for Followup/Schoolwide Action Plan………....50

V: Schoolwide Action Plan Refinements…………………………….……….…...55

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I: Student/Community Profile Data INTRODUCTION

Founded as an alternative high school in 19971998, Millennium High School currently has a

student population of 77. We begin the school you with somewhat lower numbers (70 in

201516) and generally rise close to 80 or even higher in the second semester as additional

students transfer from Piedmont High School. Approximately 2/3 of our students come from our

home district, Piedmont Unified; the rest (each year, about 810 freshman and a small number of

sophomores, juniors, and seniors) are admitted from a variety of cities around the Bay Area.

Because some families move out of the city of Piedmont (with its exceptionally high real estate

costs) after their students transfer to Millennium, nearly 2/3 of our students actually reside in

other Bay Area cities.

Millennium shares its campus and many resources with Piedmont High School, and both schools

benefit from the generosity of the community of Piedmont, California—a highly affluent city of

about 10,000 residents, set on a hill abutting Oakland and across the bay from San Francisco.

Millennium serves a diverse student population with a wide range of learning needs and learning

styles, a wide range of academic proficiency levels, and many individual emotional and

psychological needs.

Our classes are small, interactive, heterogeneous, and noncompetitive. Our staff are constantly

mindful of the “whole person” and strive to individualize instruction and assessment as much as

possible—in ways not possible in the traditional classroom—to enable all of our students to

learn. While encouraging our students to challenge themselves academically, we also seek to

minimize the “stress” factor of school, and to increase student engagement with opportunities for

experiential learning, selfdirected projects, small group discussion, tutorials, communitybased

learning, service learning, interdisciplinary and multiple intelligences instruction, and flexible

scheduling.

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With a fulltime counselor and complete access to the Wellness Center, we provide many

opportunities for personal counseling and emotional support.

A considerable percentage of our students join Millennium after struggling at the comprehensive

high school. Many leave PHS because of what they perceive as the “pressure cooker”

atmosphere at that extremely highachieving school (since 2008, U.S. News & World Report has

regularly named PHS one of America’s 100 Best High Schools).

Others move to Millennium because of personal or emotional issues that were not as easily

addressed in PHS’s much larger student population. Still others join Millennium because its

flexible credit system better accommodates their complex life outside of school–enabling them,

for instance, to hold down a job outside of school, to travel to perform as a professional

musician, or to compete on the national level at athletics (with recent a student competing in

gymnastics). Still others join Millennium from schools outside the district because they want a

safe school, a small school, and/or a more personal, individualized experience.

Millennium is known as a very inclusive place with a strong sense of “family.” As a community,

we bring together a population that is diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status,

and life experience. Students report feeling much safer here than at many other schools in many

ways, including in the freedom to openly express a range of gender identities and sexual

orientations. Our students almost universally praise Millennium for making them feel accepted,

respected, and cared for as human beings.

Millennium’s ultimate goal is to help students achieve their full potential and meet their

selfdefined academic, career, and life goals. Students at MHS complete the same graduation

requirements as students at Piedmont High School. The MHS curriculum is aligned with

Common Core State Standards and content area standards for California public schools, and our

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courses satisfy UC “ag” admission requirements.

Our student population is very stable for an alternative high school: with very rare exceptions,

students who enter Millennium remain at Millennium for the remainder of their high school

careers, and graduate. Over 90% pursue higher education at community colleges or fouryear

colleges and universities.

Before a student enters Millennium, the student and his or her parents or legal guardians must be

personally interviewed by the Millennium Principal. At this meeting, the principal, student, and

parents/guardians review the school’s mission to ensure that everyone understands what it means

to become part of the Millennium community. They also discuss specific goals and learning

plans for the individual student, which must be agreed to by all parties before enrollment.

MHS was founded with a “communitybuilding approach” to education, guided by four founding

principles: respect, communication, empowerment and community. While in everyday practice

these ideals can be challenging to achieve, we continue to make them a cornerstone of the

Millennium experience and work to build a school culture which embodies them. We ask all

members of our community–student with student, staff with staff, student with staff—to treat

each other with respect, recognizing our diverse backgrounds and learning styles as a strength,

not a weakness. Direct and honest communication is emphasized, along with collective

responsibility for addressing problems when they arise. We view everyone as potentially both

learner and teacher.

DEMOGRAPHIC DATA

Piedmont Community

The Piedmont Community is very supportive of Millennium. We are fortunate to be in a District

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in which the Director of Alternative Education, Michael Brady, served as Millennium’s principal

for two years, and still enthusiastically attends Millennium events. Administrators from across

the district proudly attend Millennium’s graduation ceremony each year.

The city as a whole is also dedicated to promoting a truly excellent school system at all sites.

The Piedmont population on average earns a high per capita income (residents are mostly

professional and business executives or business owners) and is stable. The excellent schools are

often cited as a major motive for living in the city. The city regularly passes a Parcel Tax for the

schools, currently averaging about $2400 per parcel per annum and totaling about $9 million

each year (nearly one third of the district budget), which makes it one of the most generous

parcel taxes in the nation. In recent years, the parcel tax has passed by majorities above 80%, the

largest margins in California history.

While Millennium has its own independent school culture, our students—many of whom

attended Piedmont elementary and middle schools and began their high school careers at

PHS—have full rights of membership on PHS sports teams and in other extracurricular

programs. They also take courses at PHS that Millennium (about 1/10 the size) cannot offer,

including Advanced Placement and Honors classes, advanced Math, Science, World Langauge,

Computer Science, and electives like Sports Medicine, Orchestra, and A Cappella. We are very

proud of this collaboration.

Millennium students regularly perform in PHS plays, musicals, concerts, and the famous

BirdCalling contest, which won an MHS senior an appearance on the David Letterman show.

MHS students attend PHS assemblies, and, if they choose to be, are honored in the PHS

yearbook and attend special events like the Senior Picnic, the Junior/Senior Ski Trip, Prom,

Senior Night, and even the PHS graduation ceremony (though Millennium also produces its own

very unique yearbook and hosts independent assemblies, retreats, dinners, dances, parties, and a

very emotional graduation ceremony of its own, which the entire Millennium community

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attends).

Millennium’s status as an essential part of the campus has been further recognized by two

symbolic but nonetheless meaningful changes: the morning announcements which play over the

intercom at both schools now begin, “Good morning, High School Students,” and the planners

given to all students and teachers have “Piedmont and Millennium High Schools” on the cover as

well.

At the joint high school rallies, MHS students can be seen participating on every level: as

cheerleaders, on the dance squad, in the band, in the choir, and among the athletes and school

leadership. The close relationship between the two high schools truly gives Millennium students

a “best of both worlds” opportunity.

Parents in our district are generally very involved in the schools, though Millennium parents,

many of whom live far from Piedmont or work multiple jobs, often cannot participate as actively

as resident parents. The Associated Parents’ Clubs of Piedmont (similar to a PTA) raise close to

$2 million each year for the district through their Annual Campaign and Scrip program to

support school programs. MHS has its own Parents’ Club, which supports students and staff

through fundraising and participation in site planning.

Other parentrun organizations throughout the district provide additional support for specific

academic, athletic, arts, and special needs programs, as well as for educational innovation. Some

of these organizations include:

The Associated Parents’ Clubs of Piedmont

raises approximately $2 million each year to provide funding for school programs.

Directly supports expanded course offerings, arts events, student activities programs,

the College and Career Center, the Wellness Center, and more.

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CHIME (Citizens Highly Interested in Music Education)

actively funds and supports performing arts education, including instrumental, vocal,

dramatic, and dance for Piedmont’s students.

PAINTS (Promote Art in the Schools)

a nonprofit membership organization of parents and community members whose

mission is to promote visual arts by providing a forum for parents, teachers, and

administrators to focus a coordinated art curriculum throughout the district.

The Athletic Boosters Club

supports the interscholastic athletic program with finances and parent volunteers.

The Piedmont Diversity Committee

promotes awareness, understanding, and appreciation of both differences and

commonalities among students, staff, and community. The committee offers grants to

teachers, students, and staff for school programs and produces free community events

and a bimonthly film series.

School Nutrition Advisory Committee

supports the school nutrition program by recommending menu changes, developing

educational programs, awareness campaigns, and conducting research and surveys.

PRAISE (Piedmonters for Resources, Advocacy, Information in Special Education)

actively supports and funds education for students, parents, teachers, and specialists

involved with special education. Their mission is to promote awareness,

understanding, and appreciation of learning differences among students, educators,

administrators, parents, and the community.

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The Piedmont Educational Foundation

promotes educational excellence in schools through grants made by the Board in

response to requests from individual teachers, school sites, and the District using

individual donations, income from the Endowment Fund, corporate matches, and

Dress Best for Less.

Piedmont GPS (Gifted/GATE Parent Support)

supports and educates parents, teachers, school administration, and the community to

meet the needs of the gifted / highability and twiceexceptional students.

Millennium receives frequent direct grants from these organizations, and, because our students

take part in many programs and classes offered by Piedmont High School and share a campus

with PHS, our students benefit from all of them each year.

SCHOOL PURPOSE

Mission

Millennium High School seeks to instill in our students a commitment to the four founding

principles of the school: respect, communication empowerment, and community. We are

committed to supporting each student’s personal and academic goals in an emotionally as well as

physically safe environment. Students are recognized for and supported to develop strengths and

talents unique to them as individuals, as well as challenged to expand their areas of competence

and comfort. We foster a climate where respect for the learning process is upheld by honoring

the diversity of learning styles and emotional histories present in our students. We promote

academic excellence and personal growth through our dedication to meeting the needs of our

students, regardless of each one’s level of proficiency. We create opportunities for our students

to become active, engaged participants in their school and larger communities.

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PUSD Mission Statement

Piedmont Unified, an exemplary school district committed to public education, is dedicated to

developing independent learners who are responsible, competent, collaborative, compassionate,

intellectually curious, and have a strong sense of self and community. Through quality

instruction and shared leadership, the district will impart knowledge and promote creative and

critical thinking in a safe, nurturing, and challenging environment.

Expected School Wide Learning Results (ESLRS)

Millennium High School is a school community in which learning is a collaborative process

between faculty and students, so that by graduation, students will have worked towards

becoming:

1) Self Directed Learners Who:

Demonstrate academic skills that meet state requirements

Are prepared for success in academic settings beyond high school

Recognize and use their unique ways of learning, as well as develop a range of

learning skills and strategies

Identify, advocate for and pursue their personal interests and abilities

2) Critical and Creative Thinkers Who:

Demonstrate the ability to access, analyze, apply, generalize, synthesize, express and

evaluate information from varied sources

Experience, investigate and evaluate different perspectives from which they can then

develop their own opinions

Are motivated to initiate their own in depth exploration of a variety of issues and

interests

Access their imaginations to envision solutions and express ideas

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3) Effective Communicators Who:

Demonstrate proficiency in the use of written and oral language

Can use technological tools for problem solving and communication

Are present and connected with others, listening with empathy and open minds

4) Responsible Citizens Who:

Seek active membership within their communities

Are respectful, open and ethical in communications and decision making

Become economically self sufficient

Are selfaware about and responsible for how their actions impact themselves, others

and the global environment

Make a contribution to the community at large

STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS

Enrollment

The current 201516 enrollment of MHS is 77 students, up from 70 at the end of first semester as

new transfers from PHS joined us (Students may only transfer from PHS at the ends of each

semester) As the chart below shows, the number of transfers from PHS can vary; in the past three

years, it has been as low as 11 and as high as 13.

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Typically, we start each year with an enrollment of about 70, including about 1015 new students

transferring from out of district. With the addition of new PHS transfers throughout the year, we

usually end spring semester with enrollments in the high 70s or 80s. Our average class size,

therefore, fluctuates somewhat throughout the year, but averages about 15.

Currently, more than half (43 out of 77) of Millennium students reside in other communities,

including Berkeley, San Pablo, Moraga, Alameda, San Leandro, Concord, Richmond, Albany,

Castro Valley, Vallejo, Hayward, El Sobrante and Orinda. (Some students move out of the

district after they enroll at Millennium, since it’s no longer necessary for their parents to pay the

high real estate cost of living in the City of Piedmont).

For the past two years running, we have had 5 students who are younger siblings of MHS

graduates or alreadyenrolled students at Millennium, which we consider a good sign of student

and family satisfaction with the MHS experience. On a less happy note, close to a quarter of our

students move between two households as a result of parental divorce, which is an emotional

stressor for many.

Ethnicity

The ethnic breakdown of the school for 201516 is currently as follows: approximately 54%

White, 16% AfricanAmerican, 4% Hispanic / Latino/a, 10% Asian, and 16% who identify as

“two or more races.”

Enrollment by Gender

There are currently 37 females and 40 males enrolled at MHS. At the time of the last WASC

selfstudy, we had 40 females and 40 males. Typically, more boys than girls transfer from PHS,

most likely because the traditional educational environment of PHS is less amenable to boys,

especially boys who have ADHD, impulse control issues, or other difficulties conforming to

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authority or “staying in their seats.” In the spring of 2016 we had 3 girls and 4 boys transfer from

PHS.

Special Needs English Language Learners:

Currently, we have four students at MHS who were at some point identified as English Language

Learners; At this point, three recieve ELD services and one have been reclassified as no longer

an ELL.

Special Education Students:

Millennium has a fulltime (1.0 FTE) resource specialist, Elif Ritchie, who had previously been

teaching for several years at PHS.

For each of the past three years, more than 1/3 of students enrolled in Millennium have qualified

for Special Ed:

Our

resource specialist’s current caseload is 27 students. However,

SpED at MHS is quite fluid. All students are welcome to access help through the program. The

Special Ed room is very spacious, with many open tables and banks of computers, providing a

variety of quiet work environments. Five general education students are also being served in

Learning Center.

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The Learning Center classes provide direct instruction when needed as well as assignment

scaffolding, test prep, and reteaching. Through the Learning Center class, students’ needs are

supported both academically and behaviorally. The Resource Specialist makes sure that all

accommodations and modifications are being individually administered and that they are getting

any needed extra support.

In addition to our fulltime Resource teacher, we have three other adults available to help

students with special learning needs. We currently have 1.8 FTE for special education

paraprofessionals filled by three individuals, Ricky Rodreguez (1.0 FTE), Katherine (Kammy)

Cobb (0.6 FTE) and Richard Meyers (0.2 FTE). Because so many of our students need support in

math specifically, we made an effort this year to find someone with a strong math background,

and were extraordinarily lucky in being able to hire Kammy Cobb and Richard Meyers. Kammy

is present in the Math I class as well as in the learning center to give individual assistance to

students. Richard possesses a Single Subject credential with a Math authorization and is the

classroom teacher for the Math Lab class as well as acting as a paraeducator in the Learning

Center.

An additional factor we would like to note is the fact that students who might be candidates for

special education services in a more traditional setting are able to access our curriculum without

special services. Our smaller, more personal classroom environment seems to address the

different learning styles of our students in such a way that many can thrive without the special

education support they would need elsewhere. Our goal is to provide education in the least

restrictive environment to all students.

Parent Education Level

Millennium draws on students from diverse backgrounds. Though many of their parents have

advanced degrees, some have no education beyond high school.

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STAFF DEMOGRAPHICS AND QUALIFICATIONS

Percent Certified and Classified

Millennium High School is staffed by the Piedmont Unified School District at the ratio of

approximately one teacher for every 14 students. We have a total of 5.7 FTE for teachers (not

counting our fulltime counselor). However, because most of our teachers choose to work at

Millennium parttime, we have a physical ratio of 1 teacher for approximately every 8 students,

which in practice means more support and individualized attention for each student.

For the 201516 school year, we have fulltime Social Studies and English/Spanish teachers as

well as a fulltime Resource Specialist. We also have 6 parttime teachers, ranging from .2 to .8

at Millennium (three of whom teach only at Millennium and 3 of whom teach additional FTE at

PHS).

Overall, we have more teachers and more total FTE at MHS than at the time of our last WASC

selfstudy. We have a fulltime counselor and a fulltime administrative assistant. In addition to

serving as MHS Principal, Sati Shah also serves as MHS Technology Coordinator.

Two teachers are responsible for all the Math classes, one for all Science, one for Spanish. We

have three teachers for English and two teachers for Social Studies. No staff member is teaching

on an emergency credential. All but one are Highly Qualified under NCLB (Chemistry).

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Millennium High School Staff Demographics

Staff Total

Number Gender

Ethnic

Background

Highest

Degree

Years of

Experience

Administration 1 Male 1 AsianAmerican 1

MA in Education, Instructional Technology Emphasis

13 years

Teachers

9

Male 2

Female 5

European Amer 8

Latina 1

Ph. D. 1

Masters 1

Bachelors 7

Between 2520: 2

Between 1910 : 4

Between 92: 3

Pupil Services 1 Female 1 AsianAmerican 1 MA in Social

Work 3 years

Classified 4 Female 2

Male 2

European –Amer 4

BA: 2

Pre BA: 2

Between 1910: 1

Between 91: 3

All teachers are CLADcertified. There is diversity among Millennium’s staff. Our principal and

counselor and both AsianAmerican and one teacher is Latina. Our staff has an unusually wide

variety of life and work experience outside of academics, in creative fields, in business, in

management, and in social service, all of which allows us to bring a broader perspective into the

classroom and to be more effective life role models for our diverse student population. This

experience includes:

Ken Brown spent 8 years as a Construction Project Manager, and has been a

soccer coach for Special Needs kids for 10 years.

Sati Shah has been a plant genetics researcher, graphic designer, web developer,

and outdoor adventure guide.

Susan Simonds has been a ceramics artist.

Elise Marks is a historical novelist (under a pseudonym she doesn’t reveal at

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school) who runs a popular blog for writers, and runs an online Writing Festival

every winter.

Richard Meyers worked 10 years as a paralegal, sold software, and managed his

own business giving paralegal support to San Francisco law firms. He has also

worked for several years as a Math Teacher Instructor for the College

Preparatory Math book publishing company, training teachers to teach their

curriculum, and has also been a counselor at an outdoor wilderness camp in

Northern Minnesota.

Marcela PrivatGilman has worked as a legal translator for a Bay Area law firm

and as director of Hillcrest Language School, developing curriculum for U.C.

Berkeley's Early Education Outreach Program and teaching English as a Second

Language in Los Angeles and Costa Rica.

STUDENT PERFORMANCE DATA

Credits and Grades

Selfpaced Instruction:

At MHS, students earn course credits through a combination of productive hours in class

(participation) and completion of course assignments and projects. Students can do additional

work to earn more credit and earn it faster with our system, provided they maintain good

attendance. This differs from traditional high schools, where all students who pass a course

receive equal credit.

While we encourage all students to make steady progress toward graduation, we build in

flexibility for students to work at their own pace to reach their full potential. Students can work

as fast as they want; however, they may not be able to work as slowly as they want.

Students are required to earn an average of 1.5 to 2 credits per course during each marking

period. If students fall short on their required average credits, they are put on academic probation

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until they make up their missing work, which they can do during tutorials, Learning Center

periods, or at other times they arrange with their teachers.

Students students who are on academic probation lose their eligibility to play school sports, take

part in school arts performances and participate in extracurricular school activities such as

dances. Given how passionate many of our students are about either sports or the arts, or both,

most rally quickly to complete their credits.

Credit and Point System:

Credits indicate the quantity of work completed. Points towards credit are given when an

assignment or project is completed satisfactorily. (Credits and grades are not directly connected.

A student who completes all work acceptably but in an undistinguished manner may earn full

credits but a relatively low grade, while a student who does superb work on some projects but

does not complete others may receive a high grade but only partial credit for the given marking

period.) Each MHS teacher has her or his own system for assigning points and awarding course

credits.

Unexcused absences have a negative impact on a student’s ability to earn credit. Class

participation and attendance are reflected in the total credits a student can earn each marking

period.

Mastery Basis No Failing Grades:

Grades indicate the quality of work completed. Grades are based on mastery of the curriculum,

not on competition among students. Any assignment that does not meet satisfactory standards (a

minimum grade of "C") is returned for revision. Students may turn in several revisions until their

work meets minimum satisfactory quality required by that teacher.

Credits for Communitybased Activities:

Students can earn course credits for educational activities beyond the formal MHS curriculum

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offerings that relate to the school curriculum, including community service, internships, work

experience, classes, and recreation and arts programs attended elsewhere. Generally, they receive

one course credit for every 12 hours of verified communitybased work. With the exception of

formal classes taken at other schools, these are usually elective credits and are given pass/fail

grades. Credit can be earned for summer activities in a similar manner.

Work experience credits are limited to a maximum of 10 per semester and a total of 40 during

high school. Community service and internship credits are limited to 10 per semester. The

number of credits a student earns from community college courses are in a 3.34:1 ratio with

Millennium credits. Because the number of class hours per semester at community colleges, and

the workload (assigned reading and writing) are much greater than a semester class at MHS,

each community college credit is worth 3.34 Millennium credits.

How Much Credit Should be Earned Each Marking Period: It is difficult to specify the exact number of credits students should earn in a course each marking

period. An average of 1.5 to 2 credits per course in every sixweek marking period and a total of

5 credits per course at the end of each semester is needed to earn the traditional 10 credits per

course in a year (and to maintain eligibility for sports and arts programs). However, there is a lot

of variability in how quickly students learn and work. Moreover, students might earn credits in

lump amounts at the end of larger projects, or submit work at the end of a marking period that is

not recorded until the following period. Sometimes students double up on courses in a subject

area (for instance, taking two English courses simultaneously) to earn credits more quickly or to

make up missing credits for graduation.

Total Credits Per Marking Period: Total credits per marking period will vary for the reasons outlined above. Students typically

range between 615 credits each marking period, with an average of 9 or 10 credits.

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Grade and Progress Reports: Students receive grade reports every six weeks. Every third week before the grade reports,

teachers send out progress reports notifying parents if students are falling behind (or perhaps

doing exceptional work). In addition, MHS teachers both initiate and respond to phone and

email correspondence with parents, as well as schedule parent conferences as needed.

As is reflected in the CANs we arrived at during our last WASC process, we are always looking

for effective ways to help our students find intrinsic as well as extrinsic motivation to achieve

their best at school. Our current academic probation policies and advisory system are important

measures that we have put in place to foster motivation to achieve.

Fall 2015 Academic Probation By Marking Period

State Accountability: Academic Performance Index (API)

2013 was the last time the MHS was issued an API score

Our 2013 API score is reported at: http://api.cde.ca.gov/Acnt2013/2013GrowthSch.aspx?allcds=01612750130286 Except for 2012 and 2013, in all years in which that state recorded sufficient numbers

taking the test to qualify for an API score, we have made API, with scores of 650 or

higher.

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http://api.cde.ca.gov/Acnt2013/2013GrowthSch.aspx?allcds=01612750130286

http://api.cde.ca.gov/Acnt2012/2012GrowthSch.aspx?allcds=01612750130286


For three straight years, the API score rose annually: 687 in 2006 730 in 2007 752 in 2008.

Our scores then dropped for two years running and again in 2012, when our score fell

below the minimum 650 required to make API:

670 in 2009 650 in 2010 609 in 2012 580 in 2013

In 2011, we did not receive an API score because of an excess of parental waivers

excusing students from taking the test.

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We are concerned about how to encourage our students to perform as well as they are capable on

the test. We believe any number of factors may account for low STAR testing scores among our

students. Doubtless, basic skill issues are part of the picture for at least some students. However,

other factors are also at play. We know that many of our students vehemently dislike

standardized testing (for many reasons), and may feel little motivation to take their time with

questions and do their best work.

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As we know from our experience with students in the classroom, many of our students generally

need significant help in interpreting exactly what questions are really asking, and multiple choice

tests in particular can be very difficult for them to process. Many of our students also get

fatigued easily, and do not perform well on long tests without frequent breaks. Others are made

anxious by testing of any kind. Also, in their Math classes, students are accustomed to a

“problemsolving” approach, wherein they can receive partial credit for solutions to long

problems. Standardized tests give no credit for partial work if the final answer is not correct.

When students encounter these difficulties on the STAR test, they may simply stop trying to do

their best.

MHS Juniors took the CAASPP assessment (Smarter Balanced) for the first time in the Spring of

2015:

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After the first administration of this exam, we are encouraged by the way the our students

perceived and were engaged with the exam. Firstly, participation in the CAASPP exam was very

high. 22 of 22 juniors took the test. Even though our students expressed challenges due to the

unfamiliar computerized format of the test overall, the MHS teachers that proctored the exam felt

that students took the test seriously. This was evidenced by the time that students took to

complete each part as well as their focus level during the test. We feel that the 2015 CAASPP

results give us a more accurate picture of our students English Language Arts and Math skills

than the previous STAR test. 90% of our student scored at the “standards nearly met” level or

above on the ELA portion of the test with 50% of student scoring “standards met” or above. On

the math portion of the test, 50% of our student scored at the “standards nearly met” level or

above. Math clearly remains a growth area for our students and school.

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Subtest analysis revealed useful information in math:

Our students scored somewhat higher overall in the communicating reasoning standards. This is

consistent with our past belief that our students were not able to completely demonstrate their

knowledge in the STAR multiple choice format. In any case, we are excited at the prospect of the

CAASPP exam providing more useful student performance data as we plan for student needs.

It remains true that many of our students who score poorly on the STAR (and CAASPP) test

demonstrate competence in writing, reading, or math in their class work. Furthermore, as seen in

the SAT data section, below, the majority of our students are capable of performing at or above

the national mean in Reading and Math when the results are “higher stakes” for them personally.

Our students oftenpoor STAR performance is another motivation for choosing our 2013

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CAN #2 (working on ESLR #4: becoming responsible citizens). We want our students to

learn to persevere through tasks even when frustration sets in, and we want them to be

willing to put forth serious effort for tasks that are of benefit to their communities, not

just to them personally. The 2015 CAASPP results are a sign that our students are

moving in a positive direction around this critical academic need.

School Performance Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)

Millennium has made AYP in 2 of 3 years since our last WASC selfstudy, In 2015 we met 4 out

of 4 criteria, and in 2014 we met 2 out of 2. In both these years we made AYP. In 2013 we met 2

out of 4 criteria and did not make AYP. During this year we met both ELA and math

participation rate criteria but not either percent proficient or above criteria. Our failure to make

AYP in 2013 is indicative of the challenge we have had with students taking the STAR exam

seriously. We view making AYP in 2014 and 2015 as an indicator of progress in this area.

Information from that report is reproduced below, which can be found at

http://ayp.cde.ca.gov/reports/APR/APRSearchName.asp?TheYear=&cTopic=AYP&cLevel=Sch

ool&cName=millennium&cCounty=&cTimeFrame=S (Select the third option for Millennium to

find the Piedmont District school.)

26

http://ayp.cde.ca.gov/reports/APR/APRSearchName.asp?TheYear=&cTopic=AYP&cLevel=School&cName=millennium&cCounty=&cTimeFrame=S

http://ayp.cde.ca.gov/reports/APR/APRSearchName.asp?TheYear=&cTopic=AYP&cLevel=School&cName=millennium&cCounty=&cTimeFrame=S


We view our students performance on the 2015 CAASPP as a better indicator of proficiency then

the previous STAR test. We will continue to look for ways to help our students do their best on

standardized tests and especially computerbased test such as CAASPP. One approach we have

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begun to use is to include more standardized test type questions in regular assignments

throughout the year so that students have less difficulty processing the unfamiliar testing

approach.

California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE)

Since the time of our last WASC selfstudy, all general education seniors have passed the

CAHSEE. Last year, we had one Special Ed student who was unable to pass both portions of the

test. However, he made the effort to take the test through his senior year.

California High School Proficiency Examination (CHSPE)

The California High School Proficiency Examination (CHSPE) provides an alternative to

students who are far behind on credits or who wish to move ahead to higher education or career

preparation. The Certificate of Proficiency does not equate with completing all coursework

required for regular graduation. A student who passes the test may continue to take courses and

work toward graduation at MHS, or may leave school if he/she is at least 16 with verified

parental permission. A student who receives a Certificate of Proficiency without completing all

credits required by the PUSD will not be awarded a high school diploma by the district. Last

year, we had one student who took and passed the test as a way to satisfy her high school

competency.

CELDT Results

For the past two school years, we have had three students each year take the CELDT. In 2015

one was ranked as Early Intermediate, one was ranked Intermediate and the third was ranked

Advanced. These three students are receiving ELD services through Piedmont High School’s

ELD program.

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SAT/ACT data

In each of the past three years, the majority of our seniors have taken the SAT and/or ACT.

Senior Class Total Seniors Senior Who Took the SAT/ACT

20132014 20 15

20142015 31 26

20152016 24 19

Analysis of our overall scores: The breakdown of our overall scores in Reading and our overall scores in Math follow a very

similar curve. Approximately half of all students in each subject area score in the 500600 range

or above. In other words, the average scores for our students who have taken the SAT have

consistently been in the range of the national mean in both Reading and Math.

Class of 20132014:

Students in SAT Score Ranges Reading

200300 300400 400500 500600 600700 700800

Number of Students 0 2 2 2 1 0

Students in SAT Score Ranges Math

200300 300400 400500 500600 600700 700800


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Class of 20142015:


200300 300400 400500 500600 600700 700800



200300 300400 400500 500600 600700 700800


Class of 20152016:


200300 300400 400500 500600 600700 700800


30



200300 300400 400500 500600 600700 700800


Composite SAT Score Ranges: Classes of 20132016:

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Students taking AP and Honors Classes

MHS Students enroll in a much wide range of AP and honors courses between 2013 and 2016

MHS enrollments were as follows:

5 Calculus AB 1 AP Biology 2 AP English 2 AP Computer Science 2 Honors Physics 2 AP Environmental Science

Completion Rates

As was true at the time of our last WASC selfstudy, Millennium continues to have superb

graduation rates, usually above 99% and often 100% of enrolled seniors. Once students arrive at

Millennium, they tend to want to stay, and with the excellent counseling support they receive

from Stefanie ManaloLeClair and the level of oneonone attention they receive from teachers

and our Principal, along with Millennium’s commitment to finding viable paths for each student

to receive and make up credit, they achieve their graduation goals and (for the most part)

continue on to college.

Class of 2013/14 # of Students Class of 2014/15 # of Students

4 Year College Eligible 13 4 Year College Eligible 25

High School Diploma 7 High School Diploma 6

CHSPE 0 CHSPE 1 (10th Grade)

Piedmont Adult School 0 Piedmont Adult School 0

Total Students 20 Total Students 32

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Class of 2015/16 # of Students

4 Year College Eligible 15 (expected)

High School Diploma 9 (expected)

CHSPE 0 (expected)

Piedmont Adult School 0 (expected)

Total Students 24

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College Acceptance and Matriculation

West

California College of Arts California Institute of the Arts California State University:

Chico Dominguez Hills East Bay Humboldt Long Beach Monterey Bay Northridge San Marcos Sacramento San Diego San Francisco San Jose San Luis Obispo Sonoma Stanislaus

Saint John’s Loyola Marymount Whittier Occidental College Colorado College Cornish School of the Arts Chapman University Denver University Dominican University Evergreen State College Fort Lewis College Lewis and Clark College Linfield College Menlo College Merced Mills College Montana State New Mexico Oregon State University Puget Sound University of Redlands Southern Oregon St. Mary’s College Umpqua Community College, OR University of California:

Berkeley Davis Santa Barbara Santa Cruz San Diego Riverside

University of Colorado/Boulder University of Denver University of Nevada Reno University of Oregon University of Pacific Washington State University Western Washington Whitworth Willamette College

SOUTHWEST Arizona State University St. John’s (Santa Fe) University of Arizona University of Texas/Austin SOUTH Alabama State University Fisk University Tuskegee University University of Oklahoma Xavier University MIDWEST University of Kansas EAST Bennington Canisius College Emerson College Eugene Lang Franklin Pierce College Global College Goucher College Hampshire College Hofstra University Long Island Universtiy Mount Holyoke The New School, NY New England College in Hennike New Haven Northeastern NYU Poly Technology NYU Tisch School of Arts Simmons College Skidmore SUNY Purhase The New School University of Wisconsin ABROAD

University of Melbourne COMMUNITY COLLEGE Berkeley City College Chabot College College of Marin College of Redwoods Cuesta College Dean College Diablo Valley College Laney College Marin Community College Merritt College San Francisco City College Santa Barbara City College Santa Monica City College Sierra College Vista College

WORK/TRAVEL/OTHER AmeriCorps Brooks Institute of Photography California Culinary Academy Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandizing Global Routes Korea Gap Year Leap Now National Institute of Massage Therapy USM Corps

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The MHS staff has a genuine desire to make the Millennium educational experience as positive

and meaningful for all of our students as humanly possible. All staff at Millennium have a deep

emotional investment in the welfare of our students. The staff culture at Millennium is one of

constant selfreflection and innovation as we try to meet the very complex academic and

emotional needs of the teenagers we work with. While challenges and frustrations inevitably

arise, the overall atmosphere among the staff at Millennium is optimistic, forwardlooking, and

inspired by the conviction that, whatever problems arise, we can and will find ways to make

things better and help our students succeed.

As was true during our last WASC selfstudy MHS has some very clear strengths: a talented and

passionate teaching staff, a diverse and creative student population, and a highly supportive

District and community. Our retention and graduation rates are excellent, with almost all

students who enter Millennium staying in school and graduating, and over 90% going on to

college. MHS stakeholders overwhelming say that the school’s culture and approach to

education is healthy, generally effective, and much more responsive to the needs of individual

learners than were their previous schools.

We are also continuing to work on our areas for growth. Our students do not perform well on

standardized testing. While we feel we are making some significant strides in increasing the

overall culture of respect and engagement with learning at Millennium, and are seeing students

display “Millennium Pride,” some of our students still do not display the motivation (especially

the intrinsic motivation we’d most like to see) to work hard and take initiative in their learning.

We are, of course, dedicated to serving a vulnerable, often “at risk” population of adolescents

who have difficulty surviving in a more traditional educational setting; by the very nature of our

mission, it’s not reasonable to expect that none of our students will struggle academically or that

none will feel some degree of disaffection with school. At the same time, we have a significant

group of students who—while they value the flexibility and “humane” quality of MHS, and

while they become easily overstressed by a traditional school approach—are highly

selfmotivated, to the point of asking for more academic challenge in our classrooms. Precisely

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because we have such a complex, diverse population with such a wide variety of individual

needs, we know we have to work even harder than teachers at traditional schools to find creative

ways to support and empower all our students.

These areas of growth continue to inform our 20132019 Critical Academic Needs (CANs):

CAN #1 IMPROVING DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

To further refine and enhance differentiated instruction and assessment in the classroom so

that all of our students can be both challenged and capable of achieving mastery of the

academic material.

Identify the learning styles of each student (to support them in masterybased learning):

Help students develop metacognition so they are more aware of what helps them learn.

Help students learn basic study skills.

Find approaches to learning that engage students according to their individual learning

styles.

Engage in staff development to learn more strategies to help our diverse learners, and to

simultaneously reach both our struggling and our highachieving students.

Incorporate visual and performing arts more fully into our curriculum to benefit our many

students who are highly motivated by involvement in the arts.

Make more effective use of technology in the classroom.

Students would benefit from creative use of technology in the classroom, but more

teacher training and more reliable equipment / infrastructure is necessary to make this a

more integral part of our instruction. (This is consistent with district goals.)

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CAN #2 INCREASING ACHIEVEMENT OF ESLR #4: BECOMING RESPONSIBLE

CITIZENS

To help our students be more successful in achieving ESLR #4, which focuses on becoming

productive, mature, empowered citizens of their communities.

Our ESLR #4 states that MHS graduates should be people who “seek active membership within

their communities; are respectful, open and ethical in communications and decision making;

become economically selfsufficient; are aware about and responsible for how their actions

impact themselves, others, and the global environment; make a contribution to the community at

large.”

We want to foster an environment in which students learn to see the importance of being

responsible citizens who make positive, active contributions to their communities.

At school, we want them to be as selfmotivated as possible to meet their academic

responsibilities. Throughout life, we want them to be selfsufficient, ethical, and generous with

their contributions to any groups they will belong to. To make this happen, we need to establish

continuous and ongoing structures in our school culture.

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II: Significant Changes and Developments The impact of the changes MHS has experienced in the past three years has been, overall, very

positive. However, it should be noted that some of the changes we have experienced, notably

around staffing, pose new challenges that we are currently grappling with.

The Millennium staff has been in a state of flux. Over the past three years, we have had a change

in the entire administrative team (principal, counselor and administrative assistant). Changes in

the MHS principal position have occurred with some frequency throughout the history of MHS.

In 2015 Sati Shah took over the principal position from Ting Hsu Engelmen. Mr. Shah is a

veteran MHS faculty member, serving 11 years as the science teacher, technology coordinator

and leadership/ASB advisor before starting as the Millennium principal. His experience with the

school and established relationships with the staff, students, community and district have eased

this transition greatly and has allowed MHS to continue on a positive trajectory of developing

systems and structures that support student learning and growth. Our long time counselor Pam

Brandau’s retirement was a major adjustment for our school. Ms. Brandau was a foundational

member of the MHS staff and beloved by our students. Our new counselor Stefanie

ManaloLeClair has stepped in to very large shoes with excitement and fresh ideas. Mrs.

ManaloLeClair brings a commitment to student independence and selfadvocacy that asks our

students to grow and take responsibility for their academic and personal lives.

There have also been a number of changes among the Millennium teaching staff. These changes

have put us in an exciting transitional period. Until 2013 the teaching faculty at MHS had been

quite stable. Over the past three years, MHS has had resignations and/or retirements and new

hires in math, science, social studies and English. The makeup of our current staff is younger

and less experienced than anytime during the previous 10 years. This has created an exciting

time full of new ideas and energy among our staff that is paving the way for many of the

programmatic changes and initiatives that we are implementing. The new makeup of our staff

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has also emphasized the importance of developing teachers as school leaders and has been a

natural catalyst for the shared leadership structure that MHS desires.

20132016 has been a time of positive structural change at MHS. Through collaboration with the

PUSD Director of Instructional Technology, Millennium has installed a 2way public address

system that allows our school to make announcements to our classrooms independently of

Piedmont High School. We have also upgraded our A/V infrastructure. There is now a ceiling

mounted video projector, wall mounted speakers, document camera, adaptive hearing equipment,

DVD player and computer connection equipment in each MHS classroom. In preparation for our

Connect Learning (Chromebook 1:1 innovative) pilot, PUSD upgraded MHS wireless

infrastructure to include robust enterprise grade wireless access points that cover our school

without dead spots. PUSD has also increased the bandwidth for our connection to the Internet

significantly to 500 Mbit/s. These upgrades have enabled MHS to support our current 1:1

computing program with plenty of headroom for future expansion.

In addition to these infrastructurebased structural changes. MHS, along with PHS, has also

adopted a new 5day modified block schedule. This schedule, in which class meetings are tied to

days of the week, is an improvement from the past 7day rotating block schedule. Our new block

schedule allows students to more effectively plan after school activities, such as internships,

work or appointments. This new schedule is also beneficial to staff, especially those who have

their own student(s) in the district, as it simplifies after school logistics. In addition, the 5day

block schedule allows for a 9:00am late start to school on Tuesdays and Fridays. Research has

shown that a later school start time reduces student stress and can improve student health.

At the district level, the three professional development days per year that are provided to

teachers have been restructured since the Fall of 2013. PUSD has moved to a conference model

for professional development. Multiple breakout sessions are provided during each professional

development day allowing differentiation to meet individual teacher, department and school site

39


needs. This new structure has been beneficial to MHS. We have had the opportunity to work as a

whole staff on projects such as a common participation rubric. MHS staff have also had the

opportunity to join department focused PD sessions with PHS staff, such as sessions focused on

Common Core math and Next Generation Science Standards. MHS staff members have also

been able to pursue individual professional development needs around technology integration.

Such as explorations of how technology can be used to enhance student voice and the

participation of all students in classroom assignments.

Beginning in the fall of 2014, approximately nine staff meetings a year have been designated as

professional learning community (PLC) time. This time is used to provide continuous

professional learning and to promote teacher leadership. PLC themes are established for the year.

Sessions are lead by teachers in a rotating fashion. PLC activities have included lesson studies,

analysis of student work, collaborative brainstorming sessions and group discussions based on

readings about current education research and best practices. Since 2014, PLC themes have

included study strategies, differentiation, formative assessment, promoting growth mindset,

social and emotional learning and alternative assessment.

Programmatically, the past three years have been a time growth for Millennium. In 2013, we

restructured our English program in order for students to take gradelevel specific English

classes. We also increased our English department faculty to support this change. Our current

English class structure separates our English classes into “English 9/10” for 9th and 10th grade

students and “English 11/12” for 11th and 12th grade students. Our small school size continues

preclude grade level pure English classes however, we strive to place as many students as

possible from a grade level into the same section of an English class. In an English 9/10 class

that, for example, is made up of primarily 10th grade students, we endeavor to place only 9th

grade students that could benefit from a somewhat more advanced curriculum.

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In 2014 English teacher Elise Marks began the process of developing a schoolwide writing

assessment. The assessment she developed asked student to read persuasive editorials centered

around current issues of interest to teens and young adults such as a set of editorials for and

against later school start times. Students were asked to analyze the quality of each author’s

argument. The exam was administered to English 9/10 and 11/12 classes. The results of the test

revealed that, across grade levels, our students struggle in expressing the thesis of a reading

sample as well as in using evidence to support an argument. This information was shared with

the staff who have further incorporated explicit expository writing instruction across the subject

areas. For example, in science classes student are now taught to use the claim, evidence,

reasoning (CER) format for writing laboratory reports.

The 2014 exploratory administration of a schoolwide writing assessment highlighted the need to

refine the exam so that it could provide both more detailed and more easily quantifiable

information about MHS students strengths and weaknesses in reading and writing at each grade

level. Beginning in the spring of 2016 the English and social studies departments (5 teachers)

and the principal are undertaking a redesign of the schoolwide writing assessment with the goal

of administering the new assessment during the spring 2016 semester. The redesigned

assessment will take a scaffolded interdisciplinary approach with guided reading in social studies

classes and structured writing practice in English classes prior to the actual assessment. A rubric

is also being developed that targets specific expository writing domains. Our goal is to involve

the whole faculty in scoring the exam after a norming process using the rubric. We believe that

this process will provide more detailed, quantifiable data and insight into the writing strengths

and challenges for each grade level at MHS.

With the transition to the 5day modified block schedule, a designated tutorial time has been

established from 8:009:00am on Tuesday mornings. This is a time when students at MHS and

PHS can voluntarily come in for extra help from their teachers. At MHS we recognized that,

often, the students who need the help the most are the same students that are least likely to come

to a voluntary tutorial session. To address this, we have implemented a system in which teachers

41


can assign students to a tutorial on any given week. If a student is assigned to tutorial, they are

required to attend. The system uses an online request system. Teachers make a request via a form

and students are notified by email. The MHS office is also notified of all the students that have

been assigned to tutorial so that it can follow up with any that do not attend. This system has

increased utilization of our tutorial time and created a structure that supports students who need

extra help.

In 2014 we started the implementation of a schoolwide advisory system. During the 20142015

school year MHS held half hour long advisories once per month for 9th and 10th grade students.

In 20152016 we have expanded our program to include 9th through 11th grade students and

increased the time allotted for advisories to one hour once per month.

In 20142015 9th and 10th grade advisories focused on general academic and social emotional

support. During this exploratory year, three staff members and the principal acted as advisors

who checked in with students that had been organized into grade level groups. Students had the

opportunity to share successes and challenges from the previous month so that the group could

encourage and support the growth of each of its members. Discrete topics were also discussed

such as the MHS variable credit system, consent and the transition from middle to high school.

After reviewing student feedback about our advisories in 20142015, we decided to make some

modifications to the advisory system. Students and teachers found it challenging to balance

tutorial and advisory meetings during the same Tuesday morning session. We decided to extend

the time of our advisory meetings from one half hour to one hour. This required cancelling

tutorial for 9th11th grade students on advisory days. Students were also frustrated with the lack

of structure that they perceived in the advisory format. In 20152016 in we decided to center

advisories around the theme of goal setting. Three advisors colesson plan around this theme so

that what was being taught in each advisory class was aligned. During the fall semester, the

ultimate goal of all of the advisories was for each student to create an Individual Learning Plan

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(ILP) that outlines their academic and personal goals for the year. By the end for the Fall 2015

more than 80% of 9th11th grade students had draft ILP on file. During the spring 2016 semester

we are working with students to refine their ILP and and use it to communicate goals with the

important people in their lives. These people include teachers, counselor, peers and parents.

Beginning in the Fall of 2013 we have been holding monthly townhall style “Falcon Meetings.”

These meeting are planned by a team consisting of the principal, the ASB advisor and another

teacher. The purposes of Falcon Meetings are threefold. First and foremost, Falcon Meetings are

a chance to bring the MHS student community together to celebrate accomplishments, support

each other in our collective growth and to give identity to our school. The first half of our

meetings follow a set format starting with a welcome and introduction from an ASB member.

Next, there is an opportunity for students and staff members to make announcements. This is

followed by “shoutouts” which are an opportunity for students and staff to celebrate the

accomplishments of others by shouting them out. Next are “callouts” where students and staff

can call themselves out in an area that they would like to improve, making a public commitment

to work on their challenge. Finally there is the opportunity for “celebrations” in which students

can celebrate their own accomplishments. The shoutouts, callouts, celebrations tradition during

Falcon Meetings is aimed at supporting student growth in ESLR #4 by allowing students to be

active participants and contributors to their community and promoting reflect on how their

actions impact on others.

The second half of our Falcon Meetings are reserved to address pertinent school issues, bring in

guest speakers such as Piedmont Police Chief Rikki Goede (2014), Lieutenant Governor Gavin

Newson (2014) and Musician Billy Joe Armstrong (2015) or to conduct service learning

activities. Starting in 2014 MHS committed to conducting a school wide service learning project

each year during the spring semester. This project culminates on the MHS/PHS service learning

day in May. In the spring of 2015 we used Falcon Meeting time for students, working in four

mixed grade level groups, to plan, organize and execute four school beautification projects. The

projects included creating and installing a tile mosaic at the east entrance to the school, creating

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and installing wall tiles to line the upper parts of the MHS hallways, choosing, building and

installing benches and planters in the front of our school and conducting a deep cleaning of our

classrooms. These service learning projects were a huge success. They connected the members

of our school community with teachers and families contributing to student lead projects. In

2016 we are planning our next service learning project. this year we are exploring how the MHS

community may provide service beyond our school walls. Students will choose a service project

to plan and execute that contributes to the larger Bay Area community.

In 2013 MHS began exploring a 1:1 Chromebook program. In our first year, Chromebooks were

deployed 1:1 in two 9th grade classes (Physical Science and World Cultures) using a classroom

(devices stay at school) model. This test year gave us much valuable information about the

possibilities for enhancing learning using of Chromebooks through technology integrate lessons

that foster greater creativity and collaboration. We also gained insight into new ways to improve

formative assessment practices and increase student voice in our classes. Based, in part, on the

success of the MHS first year 1:1 trial, PUSD formally started the Connected Learning pilot

during the 20142015 school year. In this pilot all 6th, 9th and 11th grade students accross the

district were assigned a Chromebook to use during school and to take home. At MHS all students

in grades 912 were assigned a Chromebook. During the spring of 2014 and fall of 2015, ten

drop in professional development sessions were lead by the MHS technology coordinator. These

sessions were open to all teachers in PUSD. Topics ranges from a boot camp designed to get

teachers up and running with Connected Learning to advance topics such as using technology to

enhance projectbased learning.

Connected Learning during the 20142015 school year was very successful at MHS. All of our

teachers dove in by creating new technology integrated lessons in their classes. The vast majority

reported being able to conduct activities and check for understand in ways that were not possible

with this new technology. Collaboration was also greatly increased as teachers leveraged the

collaborative features of Google Apps in their classes. During 20142015 all of our teachers

created and maintained websites containing assignments and daily agendas for students to

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access. In addition, all of our teachers post Weekly Checkins on Infinite Campus, the PUSD

student information system. WeeklyCheckins provide a week by week snapshot of any missing

assignments that a student has. Combined with class websites this system provides a valuable

resource for students and families to independently access course materials they need.

In 20152016 we are continuing our journey with Connected Learning. At the district level, all

students in grades 612 now participate. At MHS, all our student continue to participate. All

MHS teachers use Chromebooks as a teaching and learning tool regularly. Connected learning

has become firmly integrated as part of the core learning that happens at MHS.

During the 20122013 school year the MHS Leadership class undertook writing the first

Millennium High School Associated Student Body Constitution. Using the PHS ASB

Constitution as a guide, the Leadership class discussed and proposed a comprehensive set of

principles and bylaws governing student activities at MHS. This process culminated in a

constitutional convention in which the leadership class defended their draft constitution by

answering questions from students, teachers, parents and community members. At the conclusion

of this process, a vote was held and the Constitution was unanimously ratified. This process

created the first organized MHS ASB and student government in 20132014. From this point on

MHS has had an elected student government composed of a school president, vicepresident,

secretary and treasurer as well as a number of additional appointed positions. Throughout this

time, student leadership in planning school events has increased dramatically. Student leadership

is now integral in planning events including Camp Augusta, the annual community dinner

fundraiser, the spring service project, ongoing community service projects such as canned food

and toy drives and monthly Falcon Meetings.

In 2014 PUSD began the process of evaluating and choosing Common Core aligned math

curriculum for grades K12. The MHS math teacher participated in this task force. By the end of

the school year the math task force decided to pilot College Preparatory Math (CPM) in grades

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612, including at Millennium, during the 201516 school year. CPM is a Common Core aligned,

student centered math curriculum focuses that on developing deep knowledge of math concepts

through a discoverybased approach. In 20152016 MHS began its CPM math pilot in a 9th

grade Integrated Math I class. The MHS math teacher received training from CPM over the

summer before school started and is currently receiving ongoing training during the school year.

As the school year has progressed, it has become clear that Millennium’s unique student

population necessitates modifications to the CPM curriculum. Currently, the MHS math teacher

is actively engaged in adapting CPM practices to best meet the needs of MHS students.

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III: Ongoing School Improvement The MHS community has been engaged in reviewing student achievement data and monitoring

our school wide action plan on a regular basis. Among the Millennium staff, the foundation for

this ongoing process occurs during weekly staff meetings. Teachers regularly share and analyze

qualitative and quantitative data about individual students, groups of students and grade levels

during these meetings. The staff is often engaged in discussing the implications for this data.

These discussions are focused on generating strategies that could produce growth. Due to the

small size of our school and the close communication between faculty members, we are able to

rapidly “prototype” changes in pedagogy, practice and policy and then, in turn, analyze their

effect on student learning. This type of inquiry cycle leads to regular iteration of the MHS

program as we refine bestpractice for our current students.

In addition to this continuous work, the MHS staff reviews STAR, CAHSEE, and now CAASPP

data annually. This analysis offers a starting point for work with our students at the beginning of

each school year. 2015 was the first administration of the CAASPP exam to our 11th grade

students. We found that our students, overall, took this exam seriously. As a result, the 2015

CAASPP provide valuable insight into our students strengths and weaknesses in reading, writing

and mathematics.

In 2014 English teacher Elise Marks began the process of developing a schoolwide writing

assessment. In the Fall of 2014 she shared the qualitative data she had gathered with the MHS

faculty. This information reinforced the need focus on expository writing skills across subject

areas at MHS as called out in the Common Core State Standards. The MHS faculty is currently

in the process of developing a schoolwide writing assessment that will provided more detailed,

quantifiable data on our students writing strengths and weaknesses a each grade level.

47


The Millennium High School School Site Council (SSC) also plays an important role in

reviewing student achievement data and monitoring the MHS schoolwide action plan. The MHS

SCC is made up of student, faculty, staff, parent and community member representatives. This

group reviews and discusses STAR, CAHSEE, and now CAASPP data annually in much the

same way as the MHS staff does. The group also reviews and discusses qualitative and

quantitative data that faculty members provide to the group. A major role of the SSC is to create

annual site goals and actions that support the MHS WASC critical academic needs (CANs) and

the PUSD local control accountability plan (LCAP). This process leads to a deep analysis of the

highest priority needs for the school and provides year to year direction for promoting growth at

MHS.

The MHS Parents Club is also involved in reviewing student achievement data and monitoring

the MHS action plan. The Millennium Principal attends all Parents Club meetings and regularly

reports on school progress and initiatives. These reports include time for feedback so that the

Principal can act as a liaison to the MHS staff. MHS faculty members also present progress

reports for their content areas to the Parents Club. These progress reports are rich presentations

given by the faculty member that offer parent insight into the teaching strategies and rationale for

using them. These talks also offer parents a chance to ask questions and probe deeply into how

they can best support their student at home.

Preparing the MHS WASC MidCycle Report was also a collaborative process involving the

MHS staff, parents and community members. An initial draft chapters I, II and IV of the report

was prepared by the MHS principal. This draft was shared with the MHS staff at a day long

retreat. During this retreat the MHS staff offered feedback and filled in vital information.

Significant time at the retreat was also used to review and discuss changes to our school wide

action plan. Time during the retreat was further used for the MHS staff to gather evidence to

support the report. Following the retreat the MHS principal reviewed the initial draft report and

completed chapter V based on MHS staff feedback. This new, second draft was shared with staff

members, the MHS School Site Council and Parents Club for a second round of feedback. After

48


taking this information into account a final draft of the progress report was prepared.

49


IV: Progress on Critical Areas for

Followup/Schoolwide Action Plan Integrated Critical Areas for Followup*

Implementation Timeline Action Plan Progress Supporting Evidence

8 20132014

All students participated in a day long retreat and an 8 week mindfulness program. All staff participated in a 1.5 days mindfulness training.

Mindfulness notes

1, 2, 5 2013present

MHS was the first school in PUSD to pilot the use of Chromebooks in a 1:1 environment through an initiative called Connected Learning. In collaboration with the district technology department we:

Conducted a prepilot program in our Physical Science and World Cultures classes for 9th graders.

Determined that the Dell Chromebook 11 best met our educational needs.

Deployed the necessary upgrades to our wireless internet infrastructure to provide 100% classroom access to the MHS WiFi network

Provide ongoing, technology focused, professional development to teachers

Upgraded our PA and media systems to a fully integrated Calypso system.

In our MHS Connected Learning implementation:

All teachers have developed technology integrated lessons.

All teachers post assignments online.

All teachers post missing assignments on Infinite Campus.

District Technology Advisory Committee (DTAC) meeting minutes.

Connected Learning dropin PD presentations and notes.

Example technology integrated lesson plans.

FalconNET MHS staff meeting minutes MHS Collaborative PD

notes

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Technology coordinator provides readily usable “TechTips” during staff meetings.

Teachers present about innovative ways they are using technology to enhance student learning at staff meetings.

5, 8 2013present

Institutionalized monthly townhall “Falcon Meetings.” These meetings are currently held during the school day on Mondays. These meeting celebrate student success and bring the community together to collectively support each other. Falcon Meeting are used as a platform to discuss social and emotional issues. Falcon Meetings are used as a forum for developing and carrying out a schoolwide service project each spring.

Falcon Meeting planning documents

Spring service project planning documents

Spring service project student notes

3 2013present

Restructured English classes to be more grade level specific. We now have seperated grade 9th/10th and grade 11th/12th grade English classes.

English class syllabi

4 2013present Institutionalized a system for teachers to assign students identified as needing extra help to tutorial on Tuesday mornings.

Weekly tutorial lists

5 2013present

Institutionalized the American Teenager Project (ATP). 9th grade students in the World Cultures class are trained to be photo journalists. 9th grade students interview and photograph 12th grade students to document their life experiences. The goal of the project is to highlight what makes each student unique as well as the common threads are that tie MHS students together.

ATP lessons ATP interview transcripts ATP Photos/Photo wall

5 2013present

The Leadership class wrote and ratified the first MHS Associated Student Body (ASB) Constitution. Ratification of the constitution required unanimous vote by committee (including representatives from all MHS stakeholder groups). The creation and ratification of the MHS Constitution lead to the formation of an organized MHS ASB student government.

MHS ASB Constitution MHS ASB Meeting

Minutes

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This governing body includes 4 elected and ~12 appointed student representatives.

6 2013present

Teachers have taught lessons designed to educate students on the details of the MHS variable credit system. Students understand the importance of earning “full credit” and its relationship to showing mastery of the content and skills they are learning.

Grade/credit lessons

1 2013present

Parallel to PUSD, MHS has moved to a conference model for district sponsored professional development (3 full days/year). This models allows better differentiation for teacher needs. Additionally, the model creates dedicated time for the MHS staff to to work together on needs specific to our school such as a common participation rubric.

PUSD Staff development day agendas

Participation rubric notes

9 2013present

MHS Faculty have given a number of PUSD School Board presentations to highlight innovative projects and exceptional student learning happening at MHS. Presentation topics include:

Connected Learning Camp Augusta School Beautification

PUSD School Board Meeting Agendas

9 2013oresent

MHS ASB vice president acts a student representative to the school board. As a shared responsibility with the PHS ASB vice president, the MHS vice president attends ½ the school board meetings each year to update the board on current events and climate at MHS.

PUSD School Board Meeting Agendas

3 2014 & 2016

Administered a schoolwide writing assessment to determine areas of improvements for teachers to address throughout the school year. (2014) Planning the implementation of a revised school wide writing assessment to be administered in English and Social Studies classes. (2016)

Writing assessment results Writing assessment

planning documents

8 2014present

Institutionalized an advisory system first for 910 grade students (2014) and now 911 grade students (2015).

Advisory Lessons Sample ILPs

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In 201415 advisories were used to guide students towards resources for meeting their academic and personal needs. In 201516 advisories are being used to guide students in the creation, implementation and maintenance of Individual Learning Plans (ILPs). students have set academic and personal goals along with an action plan for working towards their goals. The ILP is shared with teachers and families. Student are asked to analyze how their actions align (or do not align) with their goals.

1, 4, 6 2014present

Created a Professional Learning Community (PLC) structure for teacher leadership in sharing strategies for addressing areas of identified need. These PLCs center around themes including:

Mastery or growthbased learning Differentiation Formative assessment Study strategies Social and emotional learning

PLC notes

9 2014present

Students created an MHS magazine that is published several times each year as part of their English class. This magazine addresses student opinion and highlights student work.

MHS Magazine issues

6 2015present

Staff collaboration on the creation and implementation of a schoolwide participation rubric.

Participation rubric creation notes

Completed participation rubric

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*Schoolwide Critical Areas for FollowUp (list numerically): 1. The district needs to provide professional development opportunities in use of Data Director, differentiated

instruction and student engagement strategies. 2. The district needs to upgrade the MHS’s public address system for improved communication and student

safety. 3. The principal and staff need to restructure the English classes to align with Common Core State Standards

by dividing sections into grades 910 and 1112. 4. Principal and staff need to create a schoolwide protocol with specific class opening and closing

procedures. 5. Staff needs to do more crosscurricular collaboration and provide more realworld articulation of academic

curriculum to serve all students’ needs. 6. Staff needs to continue working on developing common schoolwide assessments and rubrics in all content

areas. 7. Staff needs to tie state standards and ESLRs routinely to the work students are doing and communicate

these connections explicitly to students and parents. 8. Staff needs to develop an advisory system. 9. MHS needs to inform PUSD parents of the value and benefit of MHS to the community, so struggling

students can transfer to MHS before entering a crisis.

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V: Schoolwide Action Plan Refinements

CAN # 1 : To further refine and enhance differentiated instruction and assessment in the classroom so that all of our students can be both challenged and capable of achieving mastery of the academic material.

Task Timeline Persons Responsible

Means to assess improvement

Administer schoolwide writing assessment to determine areas of improvements for teachers to address throughout the school year.

Spring 2016 and ongoing.

All Teachers Sample writing assessments. Written overview of overall student strengths and weaknesses.

Continued professional development around the role of technology in supporting differentiation, formative assessment and collaborative learning.

Fall 2016 and ongoing

Tech Coordinator, PUSD Tech Team, Principal, Director in Instructional Technology

Technology integrated lesson plans, yearly Bright Bytes survey

Create a schoolwide protocol with specific class opening and closing procedures.

Fall 2016 Whole Faculty Written protocol

Further define growthbased learning and its relationship to mastery.

Spring 2016 Spring 2017

Whole Faculty Written definition of growthbased learning developed by the staff.

Each teacher shares their practice of growthbased learning

Fall 2016 Whole Faculty Growthbased learning examples shared among staff.

Establish a protocol for instructional walkthroughs (peer observations in small groups) of other classrooms and schools to identify strategies that are working

Spring 2016 & ongoing

Teachers, Principal, Counselor

Observation notes.

Continue ~9 teacher led PLC days per year during staff meetings with a focuses on supporting growth, differentiation, formative assessment and collaborative learning.

Spring 2016 and ongoing

Principal, Counselor, Teachers

Meeting minutes, collection of instructional strategies.

Every teacher uses one or more of the common assessment rubrics to assess their students' work in the three focused areas: organization, writing, logical thinking, and participation.


All Teachers Samples of graded student work.

Continue work with students around growthbased learning and its relationship to content mastery. Clarify that credits and grades are only awarded when work is completed at mastery level (minimum C).

Spring 2016 & ongoing (through advisory and in classes)

Designated teacher(s), Principal, Counselor

Lesson plan, presentation and handouts to every student.

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Continue to assess and refine our systems for reporting and supporting student progress including Infinite Campus, supervised independent study and credit recovery.


Full Faculty Infinite Campus, Independent study plan documents, credit recovery/course remediation statistics.

Continued implementation of technology integrated lesson plans with a focus on the use of the “the 4Cs” (communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking)


Teachers Technology integrated lesson plans, student work samples, yearly Bright Bytes survey

CAN # 2: To help our students be more successful in achieving ESLR #4, which focuses on becoming productive, mature, empowered citizens of their communities. Task Timeline Persons

Responsible Means to assess improvement

Explore a dedicated Social Psychology class at MHS that will better meet our students social and emotional needs.

20162017 Principal, Counselor, Social Psycology Teacher

Social Psychology course outline

Refine the American Teenager Project (ATP) implementation. Explore strategies for better integrating the yearbook class, ASB and advisory groups into the process in addition to World Cultures students. Students in yearbook will incorporate photographs and interviews of seniors into the yearbook.

20162018 Selected students, World Cultures Teacher, ASB Advisor, Yearbook Teacher, Advisory Committee, Counselor, Principal,

ATP section of the MHS Yearbook

Review MHS ASB Constitution and hold a constitutional conventions to make revisions/amendments in light of school change.

20162017 ASB Class, ASB Advisor, Principal, MHS community

Constitution document

Expand advisories to include all 4 grades 912

20162017 Advisory committee

Advisory curriculum

Refine and adapt the creation and use of Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) for all students as a means of setting and reflecting on academic goals.

Spring 2016 initially. Fall 2016 full implementation

Advisory committee with support from the whole staff

Individual learning plan documents

Provide a variety of ways to display student work (encourages students to share their knowledge with others and allows them to showcase and take pride in their work); consider reviving Student Showcase, holding an Interest Fair, Maker Fair, Open House and/or similar event(s)

20161017 Principal, Admin Assistant, Teachers, Students

Event where students work is displayed. Hallways utilized to showcase student work

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Continue to provide more MHS visibility within the larger community.


MHS Principal, Councilor, ASB Advisor, MHS Teachers, Student Representatives

Presentations about MHS at PHS and PMS Parents Club Meetings. School board presentations. Student representative in Board Meetings to provide updates on MHS

Continue to communicate common core standards and ESLRs to our students.


All teachers and administration

Standardsaligned syllabi and coursework. Materials from student orientation

Continue to refine Falcon Meetings with a focus increasing student leadership in group conversations around urgent social issues.


ASB Class, ASB Advisor, Principal, Teachers

Assemblies

Provide a variety of ways to support students in pursuing volunteer / communityservice projects (perhaps coordinate through advisories). Improve communication with parents and students about available opportunities.


Counselor, Teachers, Students, Parents

Records of completed volunteer work. Every student required to complete 8 hours of service

Refine and adapt the creation and use of Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) for all students as a means of setting and reflecting on personal goals.

Spring 2016 initially. Fall 2016 full implementation

Advisory subcommittee with support from the whole staff

Individual learning plan documents

Formalize structure and implementation of the spring service project (number of student planning meetings, student leadership, fundraising support)

Spring 2016 initially 20162018

Falcon Meeting committee, ASB advisor, ASB, full faculty

Spring service project planning guide

Explore additional ways increase realworld articulations of academic curriculum (such as American Teenager Project, internships, job shadowing).


Counselor, Principals, Parents, Community Contacts, and Students

Student writeups and sharing of their experiences

Below is an excerpt from the MHS 20152016 Site Plan outlining the goals and actions set forth by the MHS School Site Council for the school year. The complete Millennium High School Single Plan For Student Achievement can be found here:

http://www.piedmont.k12.ca.us/mhs/wpcore/wpcontent/uploads/mhssinglePplan20152016.pdf

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http://www.piedmont.k12.ca.us/mhs/wp-core/wp-content/uploads/mhs-singleP-plan-2015-2016.pdf

http://www.piedmont.k12.ca.us/mhs/wp-core/wp-content/uploads/mhs-singleP-plan-2015-2016.pdf


Single Plan for Student Achievement Millennium High School

Goals 20152016

20152016 School Goals:

1. Refine instructional strategies/techniques/tools, including the integration of technology, to support differentiated and individualized instruction, common core readiness, current additional content area standards and the diversity of postsecondary preparation needs across all subject areas. (LCAP Student Needs #1, #2, #4)

2. Continue to strengthen structures and practices that promote growth towards

individual goals, support, and organization so that students may take ownership of and accountability for their individual academic and personal needs. (LCAP Student Needs #3, #5, #6)

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20152016 Action Plan for MHS Goals: Groups to Participate Anticipated Annual Performance Participants for Goal #1:

All teachers All paraeducators Counselor Administrator

Anticipated Annual Performance for Goal #1: Continuous progress in the alignment

of core subject curriculum to the common core standards.

Increase knowledge in how to utilize chromebooks as instructional tools in order to maximize differentiation in the classrooms.

Decrease number of ineligibility students at the end of each marking period.

Decrease in students who do not meet organizational requirement in their classes.

Participants for Goal #2: All students grades 9 – 12 All teachers All paraeducators Certificated staff Counselor Administrator

Anticipated Annual Performance for Goal #2: Increase credit completion among all

students through attendance of: o Tutorial for academic support o Advisory for individual

goalplanning support and social emotional support.

Increase communication between students and teachers around individual goals.

Decrease in late assignments. Increase in a sense of community

through monthly Falcon Meetings.

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Means of Evaluating the Goal Data to Measure Academic Goals Means of Evaluating Goal #1:

Staff meeting notes on common core strategies/techniques/tools

Attendance at districtwide Common Core Professional Development

Common Core aligned lesson plans

Professional Learning Community lead signup document

Common Core Fact Sheet 912 content area benchmarks

publicized

Data to Measure Goal #1: Attendance of teachers and

paraeducators during weekly staff meetings. Ongoing discussions during staff meetings about common core best practices.

Shared common core lesson plans among staff.

Teachers will lead Professional Learning Community discussions on topics: Growth Mindset, differentiated instruction and Formative assessment.

Communicate to MHS parents about common core, including at parents club meetings.

Develop/articulate department goals from 9th grade to 12th grade: Publicize in handbook and website.

Participation in districtwide professional development on Common Core and Connected Learning.

Means of Evaluating Goal #2: Semester credit completion

reports during 20142015 and 20152016.

ILP documents for 9th11th grade students.

Student and teacher survey regarding all academic, personal, and community support structures (Tutorials, Advisory, Weekly Checkins and Falcon Meetings).

Weekly checkins on Infinite Campus

Data to Measure Goal #2: Compare students’ semester credit

completion during 20152016 school year to 20142015 school year.

Number of students with completed ILP documents.

Based on teacher and student surveys, determine if teachers and students perceive structures to be improving MHS’s academic climate and community relations.

Review of assignment completion through weekly checkin data.

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Actions taken to Reach this Goal Start / End Date

Expenditure

Description

Funding Source

Actions for Goal #1: Teachers will attend professional

development provided by PUSD on common core and connected learning.

Teachers will each lead 1 or more Professional Learning Community discussions at designated staff meetings (topics: Growth Mindset, Differentiated instruction, Formative Assessment).

Teachers will share common core lesson plans during staff meetings.

Teachers will collaborate with colleagues to develop department goals for a 9th through 12th progression.

Administrator and Teacher(s) will present to MHS parents club about common core and postsecondary preparation.

Aug 2015 – June 2016

0 0 0

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Actions for Goal #2: MHS staff will maximize tutorial

on Tuesdays through a set structure:

o Teachers will request students for tutorial before Monday at 4pm through a google form set up by the Tech Coordinator.

o Teachers will remind students to check their emails for tutorial requests on every Monday anchor day.

o Students who were requested for tutorial and and do not attend will be given detention by Principal.

Teachers will maintain a weekly checkin report on Infinite campus for student and family viewing.

Principal, counselor, and one teacher will hold advisory sessions for 9th through 11th grade students from 8:009:00am one Tuesday per month.

Advisors will guide 9th through 11th grade students to develop an individualized learning plan targeting academic and personal goals.

Teachers will communicate with students about how their courses can support their individual goals.

Two designated teachers and Principal will plan monthly schoolwide Falcon Meeting during which the school celebrates students’ academic and personal successes.

Aug 2015 – June 2016

$4000 ($2000x2)

Stipend for teacher advisor and community building leads (2)

Title I

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millennium high school midcycle progress report · yearbook and attend special events like the...

Documents